Thoughts on the small amp trend

[MOAAH]

If you really want a PP mini amp, well I hate to reinvent the wheel so here's a few links that may help.
http://www.ax84.com/static/corepoweramp ... ematic.pdf
This one uses 12ax7 for a very standard looking driver/PI and a 6SN7 for the PO. You can sub a 12au7 for the OP(just change the pin layout), the characteristics are very similar and I doubt you'd need too many tweaks, if any.

Alternatively, you could cut the PA outta this PP 12au7amp:
http://ax84.com/media/ax84_m276.gif
Just use VR-2 as the input and maybe add a grid stopper R.

A very nice SE PA! Again with 6SN7 but this one shows how to use 12au7, same values I believe, again just a different pin layout:
http://www.ax84.com/static/corepoweramp ... ematic.pdf

I'd just go for SE. Simpler circuit so easier to tweak and again 12au7 is the tube to use, it can drive current better than 12ax7. For sure you can still plug a 12at7 or 12ax7 into it.

Let us know how it works out for ya!

 

[moltenmetalburn]

very cool thanks for all of this!

for what reason do you not build PP less than 18 watts? at the lower volumes is it harder to hear the difference? i play metal so headroom is always important and I have never played a SE design that didn't feel "soft" to me rather than "hard" (o boy here come the jokes). then again I haven't heard too many SE amps . Ill get some stuff together and see if I cant pull this off. I like the simplicity of your scanned image, might just tinker around with that one.

again thank you

 

[MOAAH]

very cool thanks for all of this!

for what reason do you not build PP less than 18 watts? at the lower volumes is it harder to hear the difference? i play metal so headroom is always important and I have never played a SE design that didn't feel "soft" to me rather than "hard" (o boy here come the jokes). then again I haven't heard too many SE amps . Ill get some stuff together and see if I cant pull this off. I like the simplicity of your scanned image, might just tinker around with that one.

again thank you

You are most welcome

Yeah the scanned one would be cool, one tube is just so simple.

I stuck with SE below 18 watts cause:
You don't need a PI, so less parts help to keep the price down.

I also really dig pure class A.

The trouble you've had relates to exactly what I found with every other(AFAIK) SE guitar amp. They all used similar values on the filter caps as in a PP amp. You'll notice on the first scan I posted how my filter caps were way larger on the B+ output node(100mfd) than you'll prolly see elsewhere in a small SE guitar amp. This made up for the slushy(or soft) tone, and also helped with the filtering. Extra filtering is very important for SE cause PP eliminates, in a balanced circuit, much of the hum.

Take good care and have fun.

 

[1big1]

just checked out the jca20h vids on their web site. impressive sounding little bugger to say the least. i am going to add them to my short list for sure.

 

[CaseyCor]

MOAHH, your work looks great, and sounds like it might be just what I've been looking for.

I've always wanted a 2 channel, low wattage head with a loop to gig with. A nice, pristine clean sound that can do some mid-gain with a pedal, and a high gain channel for "teh brootlz".

I'd love to have a nice fender-ish clean sound along with a modded marshall-esque high gain channel in a 15 watt package.

Do you have any clips of your amps? I'm sure if you do you've already posted them, I'm just too lazy to look around

 

[MOAAH]

MOAHH, your work looks great, and sounds like it might be just what I've been looking for.

I've always wanted a 2 channel, low wattage head with a loop to gig with. A nice, pristine clean sound that can do some mid-gain with a pedal, and a high gain channel for "teh brootlz".

I'd love to have a nice fender-ish clean sound along with a modded marshall-esque high gain channel in a 15 watt package.

Do you have any clips of your amps? I'm sure if you do you've already posted them, I'm just too lazy to look around

Clips? Sure, the most recent at the top

Jazz clip, sounds acoustic but it ain't, that's my specialty super clean:
https://soundclick.com/share?songid=6272399

Slide guitar blues, clean as it can be through an amp:
https://soundclick.com/share?songid=6272320

Finger picking blues, still clean:
https://soundclick.com/share?songid=6272188

Jeff beck tune done by Pete AKA Stratone here on RT. A little heavier:
https://soundclick.com/share?songid=6219090

Radar love solo by me showing off live with super custom preamp strait into the board.
For those that want great tube tone, but not a broken back or wallet.
Definitely worth a listen if you think you can't get tone without power tubes!!!
https://soundclick.com/share?songid=6215828

My Metalhead and a indy rock sound, Martin Webb – all rights reserved 2005:

SSVT done with a Strat and THD cab, again clean:

Powerwave done with LPC + THD cab, drive set a 1/3 for crunch:

Powerwave Gibson Explorer THD cab but drive at 1/2

SAA but drive at 3/4

Powerwave ESP with SD PUs and again THD cab for power cords

Fab Fox with Strat, compressor & greenbacks

Splexi with a great player and good mix:

Splexi again, different player no mix

Voxy Lady

Classic Master clean blues

Classic Master doing national anthem

Classic Master great player good mix

Seattle blues band live with my very first amp:
https://soundclick.com/share?songid=6215437

Note any Capecraft links start song, soundclick you have to pick between HiFi / LowFi

I have more, but that should give you an ID

edit:

MOAHH, your work looks great

PS: Thanks for the kind words.
PPS: Every clip was from an amp with 8 or less watts
Except mine, that's a preamp only and my very first amp, that's a 60 watter

 

[Zachman]

"How to know when your thread has been highjacked?" -article in the next cork sniffer magazine.

Once you've posted a thread it belongs to the BB and/or the public.
Anywho, I thought the thread was pretty much dead before I jumped in
Cork sniffer magazine? Where do I get a subscription?
I may also have some good IDs for articles in a rag like that

I was just joking around man. Thanks to Zachman for posting the link, love that cover

 

[petejt]

Yer right UltraGary,
I can vouch for the Rebel 20, bedroom levels are terrific. There is enough volume/gain stacks involved on that amp to create distortion wherever you want it whenever you want it. This amp taught me the tonal differances between power tubes (I love L84's now) as well as where exactly I like my gain stacks. Very good eductional tool for me personaly all around. Awesome recording amp as well. Been to the studio for 30hrs with it and it sang! I beleive these amps were intended for bedroom levels but upon further review they also cover small gigs as well as rehearsal time just fine. True unfiltered cranked tube distortion without bleeding ears. Very Practical!

I wonder if it's worth to get a small amp like the Rebel 20, and when the situation arises to play at a much louder volume, to amplify the sound further via a load/line out box and a higher wattage stereo poweramp & 4x12 cab/s?


I am currently debating whether I should go this route, or get the Digitech GSP1101 preamp I've been thinking about for a little while now, to run with the stereo poweramp & cab.

(Mind you I have a Mesa/Boogie MarkIV amp head & Mesa/Boogie 4x12 cab which is 90% of my sound and pretty much covers all ground.)

 

[oldmanmetal]

I own many low watt amps, some I have modded heavily, and love. Valve jr- 3 of them, Crate V-18, Landgraff D'Lux/Champ, Mule modded Bogens. That being said I play modern metal, and nothing less than a 100W head is even a possibility. Usually between 3-500 people at shows, and often times the PA is more for the singer, or keyboard player when there is one. I am able to use 2 - 75 watters in stereo to 2 2x12 cabs for small to medium sized gigs. Small amps are for fun, recording, or the bedroom.

 

[isvoid]

Love the small amps, I have to RM20B combos that I A/B via tonebone. Would love to get a Kingsley Deluxe 32 1X12. Mind you I'm not a metal head, more classic rock.

 

[stratotone]

I own many low watt amps, some I have modded heavily, and love. Valve jr- 3 of them, Crate V-18, Landgraff D'Lux/Champ, Mule modded Bogens. That being said I play modern metal, and nothing less than a 100W head is even a possibility. Usually between 3-500 people at shows, and often times the PA is more for the singer, or keyboard player when there is one. I am able to use 2 - 75 watters in stereo to 2 2x12 cabs for small to medium sized gigs. Small amps are for fun, recording, or the bedroom.

If you aren't going through the PA a lot of people are either getting cut in half by your 100 watt guitar amp or can't hear you. Get a wireless and go front of house at your next gig, I bet you are surprised at how bad your overall band mix is depending on your position relative to your cab.

Pete

 

[SonicPulverizer]

The new Engl gigmaster deal seems pretty sick for a low watter.

 

[guitarmike]

My church holds services in a high school auditorium. A couple of the guitar players play small amps. HT-5, Vox night train, and a Kustom. Everything is mic'ed, the amps are in a back room cranked up. They sound terrible and thin. The HT-5 and Vox have potential but not through the small, stock speaker (the vox goes through a small 1x12). That said, I plugged the HT-5 into my 4x12 and it sounded good, but you kind of loose the purpose of the small amp if you need to slam it through a 4x12 to get a good sound out of it.

I'll keep bringing my 1/2 stack, yeah it can be a hassle to move if there are steps involved but nothing sounds as good to me.

Mike

Lee Jackson XLA500, XLS500, (2) XLS1000, Metaltronix M1000.